Past pupil set to race in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar series

Class of 2012's Jack Harvey will be taking part in a number of races in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar series with Michael Shank Racing.

Past pupil Jack, who is one of Britain's brightest motor racing prospects is proud of his time at Lincoln Minster School:

“Without a shadow of doubt my time at Lincoln Minster School helped me get to where I am today. The support I received from the school was more than I could have hoped to get which did allow me to focus on racing. There was of course an expectation that I worked hard while I was there."

In the run-up to his upcoming races we wanted to share this insightful Q&A where the Jack speaks about the exciting upcoming opportunity and the new 2018 aero kit!

You’ve just completed two days of pre-season testing at Sebring for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. This was your first time in the new 2018 aero kit, what were your impressions?We had a really strong two days of testing. It was also awesome to see the whole team working so well together. We are a brand new team, but there’s been immediate chemistry between everyone which is so important. We now just can’t wait to get started in St. Pete!

What do you make of the new aero kit?

The new car looks fantastic. Clearly we’ve lost a lot of carbon from last year which means a reduction in downforce. This is the biggest change you can feel as a driver – you still have the speed and the car is still performing at one of the highest levels in racing, but now the car feels lighter and you are moving around more. Less downforce also means that the cars are exposed more mechanically, so everyone will be working hard on this.

Do you think the new aero kit will improve racing?

At this stage it’s hard to tell as we’ve only been in testing conditions where you naturally back off when you get close to another car, so we haven’t had an experience yet of running the cars in racing conditions. In theory, less downforce should mean that the cars can get closer, which would be great for drivers and fans alike, but until we get to St. Pete, it’s hard to tell.

What’s the aim for your first race at St. Pete?

Our goal for all the races this season is to qualify in the top 15 and race through to the top ten. We have only done two days of testing so far so it’s impossible to know where we are compared to other teams as we haven’t seen everyone’s true pace, but if we can achieve top 15 to top 10 in St Pete, we will be happy.